The Garden ― A Center for Grieving Children and Teens is a non-profit agency providing support
to young people and their families, a place to talk about loss
and help parents and guardians learn how to help their children
through their grief. Children respond differently to
death than adults, but they grieve as much as any grown up and
benefit from a caring, knowledgeable environment.
At The
Garden, our focus is the child - and our programs and discussion
groups are geared toward helping young people identify and share
their feelings and begin the healing process. Yet the program
is for the whole family: while groups of children get together
to share stories, feelings, and memories with each other, parents
and guardians meet separately for a chance to discuss their
own concerns facing them and their families. Groups are facilitated
by carefully selected and trained volunteers who encourage an
exchange of feelings, ideas and support through discussions,
arts and crafts and recreational activities.
One thing we know: children don't grieve in a "gloomy" way -
which is sometimes why their grieving process is overlooked
in the first place. At The Garden are designed to be
fun, while also teaching kids effective and important coping
skills.
All programs and
services at The Garden are free. However,
participating families are encouraged to make a monthly contribution
in an amount that is comfortable. We are committed to making
our program available to everyone. We rely on the generosity
of our volunteers and the community we serve to keep it that
way. If you are interested in making a donation to
The Garden (financial or in-kind), please call us at 413-584-7086
ext. 124.
To sign up for The Garden,
please call 413-584-7086 ext. 124 or send
us an email; we would be happy to discuss the
program with you in more detail, and answer any questions
you may have. All families are welcome.
Garden Advisory Members
Judy Allen, Bereavement Group Facilitator
Julie Culhane, Ph.D. Board of Early Education and Care
Renee Denenfeld, University of Massachusetts Nursing Department
Barbara Dubeck, Private Practice Psychotherapist
Mike Epstein, The Garden: A Center for Grieving Children and Teens
Dan Kirsch, Executive Search Services
Jess Miller, Web Design & Hosting
Jon Schwab, M.D. Northampton Area Pediatrics
The Garden's website has been fully redesigned. If you notice any errors, have any suggestions or would like to make any comments or suggestions for improvement,
please feel free to contact us!
